Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-31
yes, WHAT But shall never know

IL was strange, but these thou ,its
filed his brain and refused to DO bal-
ishcd.
Once again the faint scent OF roses
was waited by him, and at the SANE
m ment he was aware of a sound az MS
right hand. Ii was no louder than the
ticking tiny insect might make in the
old wood: but the sound was not like
the noise Of a worm. 1t seemed much
more the light tapping of dainty
finger on the desk beside him, as If 70
attract his attention. Slight as 1t WAS
it disturbed his nerves TO such an ex-
tent that he flung down bis pen.
IL WAS growing late 10 the afternoon.
The roll of carriages ID the adjacent
streets sounded in his cars like the
coming in Of the tide on a shingiy
beach. II was as yet early spring, bat
Tie town was full, and with n craving
upon him fer tie sight of familiar
faces, the company OF living men and
women. he went out into the clear,
cold sunshine OF the spring evening;
and the cOmpanionship OF the crowd,
the clear air, the vivid sunlight, the
sound of voices and OF passing feet,
tie interchange Oi friendly common
Places as he went along encountering
acquainianccs at almost every turn, re-
stored him TO his habitu9l frame OF
mind. Jie laughed at the nervous
folly Of which he FELT that he had been
guilty. II seemed utterly olt OF place
IA this gay, careless world. BY the
next morning he had forgotten it all.
He went TO his work with the arlor OF
man who loves his seliimposcd task
and, for once in his life, he felt he was
doing good work. His thoughts flowed
freely. No sticking places blocked the
rapid sweep of his pen; he wrote with
an case winch absolutely surprised him,
and he was happy.
He went for long walk in the sweet
spnng air, returning at night to his
labor of love.
Tie soft light from his old lamps,
toned down by contury-old globes of
diamond-cut glass, filed his room like
an autmnal afterglow his fire flung
dancing shadows on the walls. There
was an Undesirable look of home
about the place. Savlle sat down and
began to write, but the facility OF the
morning was gone. He wrote sentence
after sentence of no meaning. His
thoughts seem to glide from his con-
troll. Vague and shadowy ideas came
TO him which absolutely refused to
shape themselves into words. Faces
half forgotten of friends unseen for
years came uncalled before his mental
vision his story slipped from Lis
grasp, yet he wrote on with dOggei
perseverance. 1t was only an uphill
pull he knew such phases of the mind
of old 1t would pass off if he fought
hard against it ; but lie was tired, just
little. When he overcame this strange
drowsiness creeping upon him all would
come back, come back with the odor of
roses, and that soft touch on the desk
at lis right hand.
He sprang to his feet, his heart
plunging Violently; moment before
lac bad been half dreaming, bat he was
bread awake now.
Heaven and earth what did it
mean ? \ hand, white as foam fakes
shaped like the hand Of Aphrodtc-
was Lowering over the desk and point
ing al the page upon which he hid
been writing; just hand and wrist
hidias might have Notwithstanding
n ore above the wrist cloud of drape-
res fcatcd-s soft, impalpaple as a sum
mer mist, aud through the mist gleam-
ca jewels rubies red as fire. The fin
ger pointed to one particular spot, but
as be lcaped up the wonderful thing
dissolved into the vaporo1s cloud
around it and fioatcd away. 1t the
same moment the room seemed full of
the odor of roses, but there WAS Il
chill breath mingling with the perfume
which turned the man cold and faint
as it swept over him and died away.
Saville stood almost spell-bOund for
a moment, the sound OF his rushing
blood and p,upging heart well-nigh
deafening him. He passed his hands
across his throbbing temples. He was
fully awake now, whatever he might
have been before. What had occurred ?
Surely he had been dreaming. 1t was
not possible it had been real. No, he
was overstrained, overweight, and his
brain had only avenged itself or pos
sibly this strange vision WAS a symptom
Of approaching illness i'll the morning
lie would understand.